The Materials & Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance (MECLA) brings together the drive to reduce embodied carbon in the building and construction industry. It is an alliance of over 140 different industry, government, and research organisations collaborating to transform the building and construction sector toward a zero-carbon economy. MECLA is on a mission to help make the materials used in the building and construction of our cities and towns meet Net Zero carbon targets that align with the Paris Agreement. The construction sector is complex. To achieve the change required at the speed necessary everyone from along the supply chain needs to come together to collectively gain a better understanding of the barriers to uptake and find solutions.
There are many ways MECLA is tackling embodied carbon. Primarily, it does this through MECLA working groups, which are dedicated to specific aspects of the decarbonisation ecosystem. Individuals from the 140+ MECLA member organisations contribute to these working groups, giving their expertise and time to progressing the intiatives. Joining MECLA means contributing to the work being done. Therefore, it is good to join MECLA with a clear idea of how your organisation can contribute, what you can gain from MECLA, and how you intend to engage with the Alliance. Learning about the governance framework guiding the alliance and the activities of the working groups is a helpful way to do this.
MECLA is managed by Climate-KIC Australia, Presync and WWF Australia. It is financially supported by both industry and government contributions. Currently, the NSW Government, the Government of South Australia, and more than 45 different industry partners financially support MECLA. All new organisations looking to join MECLA are asked to make a small financial contribution (relative to the size of the organisation).
Joining the Alliance is easy. Look at this graphic below for the individual steps.
If you are interested in joining MECLA get into contact with the secretariat and attend one of the onboarding sessions. The onboarding sessions give you a chance to hear more about what the alliance is doing and discuss which working group you are interested in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you get involved with MECLA? / How can I join MECLA? / How can I become part of MECLA?
MECLA is an alliance that works with multiple partner organisations to help accelerate decarbonisation in the construction sector. There are currently eight working groups. In each working group, industry experts from across the supply chain focus on a particular part of the decarbonisation project, such as demand, benchmarking, common language, knowledge sharing or individual materials. Being involved with a working group means you will be on the cutting edge playing a part in the Australian decarbonisation journey.
You can also engage MECLA by helping spread the word. MECLA is happy to work with your communications team to demonstrate your organisation’s zero-carbon ambitions to our various stakeholders.
Finally, access MECLA resources. MECLA has 20 case studies, a dictionary of carbon, a range of low emission material brochures, recordings of past Spotlight events, and various other resources you can read, watch, and share.
Do I have to pay to be a member of MECLA?
MECLA asks for a small one-off contribution from industry partners to help run the Alliance. The suggested contribution is relative to the size of organisation. If your organisation is currently not in a position to contribute financially, please get into contact with the MECLA secretariat.
How many people from my organisation can participate in MECLA working groups?
Our working groups have different sizes, ranging from ten participants to over 40. If you have multiple employees who would like to join working groups, let us know and we will discuss options.
How can I stay up to date with MECLA activities?
MECLA publishes a monthly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. By subscribing to our newsletter, you are also subscribing to receive general information about MECLA and event invitations.
Who should I contact about MECLA membership?
If you are interested in joining MECLA you can email us at info@mecla.org.au. We run weekly onboarding sessions at different times you can attend. These sessions provide further information on MECLA activities, what each of the working groups are currently doing, and what it means to partner with MECLA.
What are the objectives of MECLA?
MECLA has five priority areas for the next two financial years. Each of these targets reductions in embodied carbon & harnessing opportunities for industries prepared for a decarbonised and more resilient economy. The strategic objectives include intervention in:
What is expected of participants in the working groups?
- Instigating changes to policies/regulations/standards which promote and reward the use of low carbon materials.
- Working with industry contractors and government procurement agencies to specify low carbon materials in their contracts.
- Build manufacturers’ confidence and increase their production of low carbon materials
- Organisational change management and knowledge sharing that results in change in behaviour, capacity, training & skills development for key stakeholders in industry and government
- Improve data capture on the shift in low carbon materials manufacturing, value chain demand and purchasing spend
Members of working groups are expected to participate in working group meetings to work toward together towards resolving the complexities in the decarbonisation of the construction sector. Working groups tend to meet once a month to update on progress. Participation in the working groups provides an opportunity to build capacity for yourself and your organisation.
What is the MECLA governance framework?
You can learn more about our governance on the website by visiting our dedicated governance webpage or accessing a pdf copy here.
Who is part of the MECLA Secretariat?
There are four members of the MECLA secretariat.
